swscholasticbowlfandomcom-20200216-history
Joe Biden
' Joseph Robinette' "Joe" Biden, Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, jointly elected with President Barack Obama. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3, 1973, until his resignation on January 15, 2009, following his election to the Vice Presidency. In 2012, Biden was elected to a second term alongside Obama. Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware. He became an attorney in 1969, and was elected to the New Castle County council in 1970. Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972 and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He was re-elected to the Senate six times, and was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. His strong advocacy helped bring about U.S. military assistance and intervention during the Bosnian War. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991. He voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, but later proposed resolutions to alter U.S. strategy there. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties, and led creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and Violence Against Women Act. He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Tossup Questions # This man was succeeded by Orrin Hatch as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he presided over the confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas. After his opponent claimed that tax cuts in the 1960s led to economic growth in a 2012 debate, this man asked him, "Oh, now you're (*) Jack Kennedy?" In a May 2012 interview, he indicated that he was "absolutely comfortable" with gay couples receiving the same rights as straight couples, which contrasted with Obama's "evolving" stance on the issue. For ten points, name this current Vice President of the United States. # This man defeated Caleb Boggs in a 1972 Senate election; the following month his wife and daughter were killed in an accident. In 2013, he and John Lewis led a re-enactment of the Selma civil rights march, and in 2012 he said on national television, "With all due respect, that's a bunch of (*) malarkey." He now heads a Gun Violence Task Force. For 10 points, name this former Delaware Senator who is currently the Vice President. # This man presided over Robert Bork's confirmation hearing as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a post he held from 1987 to 1995. He currently serves as the head of the Middle Class Working Families Task Force. In 2008, this man erroneously claimed that FDR appeared on television at the outset of the Great Depression. For 10 points, name this former Delaware senator and current Vice President. # This man introduced the Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act as chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus. He was twice chair of the Foreign Relations Committee after being disgraced in 1988 for plagiarizing a British politician's speeches. This man accused Rudy Giuliani of mentioning "a noun, a verb, and 9/11" in every sentence, and he originally dropped out of the 2008 Presidential race after placing fifth in the Iowa caucus. For 10 points, identify this senior senator of Delaware, the current Vice President of the United States. Category:U.S. Leaders